Remembering the Past: Three Homes in Southwest Virginia

Creator: Reed, Ivonne

: Windam, Lauren

: Steele, Roberta Ingles

: Bell, Samuel H. Jr.

In this project, Ivonne Reed interviewed three people associated with historic homes in Southwest Virginia. Samuel Bell whose family owns Rockwood in Dublin Virginia; Roberta Ingles Steele, whose family owns La Riviere in Radford Virginia, and Lauren Windam who works in Glencoe Mansion in Radford Virginia. Ms. Reed wanted to preserve some of the history of these important homes that are in Southwest Virginia in a similar way that the history of historic homes are preserved in Eastern Virginia. This is among projects created by students enrolled in English 446 (initially English 452), “Appalachian Folklore,” 1981-2019, and in graduate level counterparts English 548 and 648 “Appalachian Folk Culture(s)” offered 17 fall semesters between 1987 and 2009. Minimally contain collector’s introduction and analysis, transcribed informant interviews, and excerpted and labeled examples of oral, customary, and/or material folklore/folklife collected primarily within the Appalachian region. Most include also tables of contents, informant information, indexes (outlines) of interviews, photographs, miscellaneous paper items, and indexes of informants, genres, and geographic locations. Accompanying audio recordings (several minutes to 2+ hours). Transferred to McConnell Library Archives & Special Collections from Appalachian Regional and Rural Studies Center, Fall 2013.